Automatic control for air lifts



a h c. c. JACOBSON AUTOMATIC CONTROLFOR AIR LIFTS -Filed 0ct.6, 192s v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 awuemtoz March 8,1927, v

c. c. JACOBSON AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR AIR LIFTS um/"box imwz 4 2 W WW Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC CONRAD G. J'ACOBS0N,HOF GLENEQRIDGE, 1\T.EW.JERSEY, ASSIG NOREOiTHE ARTESIAN WELL ENGINEERING? CO1. INCL, OFHNEXVABK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATIONOF.

NEW JERSEY;

AUTOMATIG CONTROL. FOR- AIR LIFTS.

Applicationfiled October 6, 1923.

This invention relates to an automatic control for air lifts such as are used inxthe art of pumping and more specifically in the raisin'g of water or other liquid from a well or other container by neans of compressed/air.

An extensively used arrangement in hydraulics consists inlocating, upright eductionrpipeh with its lower end submerged below the Water-level; there being also an auxiliaryair-pipe providing an airnozzledirected into the lower end-of the eduction-pipe; whereby the air delrvered by said nozzle will mixlwith, and thus aerate,

thecolumn of water in the eduction-pipe and arise the aerated'column to rise (by reason of its reducedspecific gravity) above the- WELtQLdGVGl 1n the well and escape from the delivery-end of the efltlCtlOn-plpe.

' pumping-level otwelli Stated differently,

the pressure and rate-of-fiowofthe air, required for eiiicient. operation, VitllBSvlll a complex manner with the submergence of the air-nozzle; the higher the head ofthe water, the greater the air-pressure, and con.- versely.

These so-called air wells areusuallyoperated in groups, that is, several wells are connected to a centralsource offainpressure and, inasmuch as the seepage of'waterinto each of the several ;wells of a group var'ies, (and through other causes) it often. happens thatlthe head of 'wateriin ,onefwell will be materially lowered, or even be levelwith the: air-inlet, before-the other wells of theisame group are similarly affected. lVitIh one of the wells in thiscondi'tion, the air in the line naturally follows, under the pressure of its source, the course of least resistance, with the result thatthe well requiring the leastair will.receive the most, and the one duces the total quantities ofwater pumped, but it also causes excessive waste of comin a well, an

Serial .No. 667,049.

pressed air which, bein renders the operation oi the group ofwells unduly costly;

In addition to the variance in the water,

supply in .the ditferent'wells ot'the group (caused by the differential betweenthe-rates the wells are subjectto certain seasonal,

expensive, in turn I of pumping and then-ates of seepage) allof." v

daily, and even hourly fluctuations from weather and geological conditions;-,and it has heretofore been-impossible to regulate the flow and distribution of the airso as to compensate for each individual fluctuation in the manner required for maintainingeac'h 01": the wells in operation at a constant maXimum efiiciency,

It is an object of thisin'vention to provide automatic means adapted to constantly regiilate the flowof arr into each well, (whether there be one or more in operation'iso that.

each well will receive precisely the proper.

amount. of air and atthe correetpressure required according to its then-existing con-- 7 dition.

@A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic air regulator for airwells. which is controlled entirely by the head of water above a predetermined point.

These ob ects have been attained by locating, between the air-supply and thenair dej livery nozzle, an air-regulating, device which is controlled by the pressure. of [the head of water in the well above. a predetermined.

point to automaticallyv regulate the flow of air so that each well is supplied with airin proportion to the head of Water'therein. Thus when the Water-level in any wellflis' lowered from a predetermined point'the less and conversely.

Other ob ects and advantages will be in in connection with the annexed drawinga will be the amount of air supplied thereto,

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to apprehend the underlying features hereof.

that they may embody the same, in the.

various ways contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferredtypical .construction have been annexedc'as apart. of

this disclosure and, in such. ,drawings,;\like characters of reference denote-corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a group of air-wells equipped with the apparatus necessary for operating them in a manner well understood, with which is combined one form of automatically controlled air regulating device embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is an axial section of the air regulator shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes a reservoir or container for the fluid to be pumped which, in this instance, is the water contained in a well formed by drilling a hole 2 downwardly into the ground 3. The level of the water is indicated by 4; the elevation of which will, of course, be variable depending upon various circumstances such as the rate of pumping, the rate of seepage, etc. The water is drawn upwardly from the well through a so-called eduction-tube 5 which is open at its lower end 6 located an appropriate depth in the well or reservoir. The upper end 7 of the eductiontube terminates as far above the ground as may be desired and delivers its flow into a suitable receiver 8 from which the water is carried either to a central reservoir or to the point of consumption. be arranged at the upper end of the eduction-tube to divert downwardly the water and prevent undue splasl'iing thereof.

The air for operating the well is delivered through an orifice 11 into the lower end of the eduction-tube; such air being conveyed to that point by means of a suitable airpipe 12 which, in turn, receives the air from a main line 13 connected with the air-tank 14 of a compressor 15. The air flowing from the pipe 13 to the pipe 12 passes through a flow-regulator A which has, in turn. its action determined by a controller B as will be presently described. Piping indicated by 16 and 17 carry the air to the regulator A which delivers it into an auxiliary tank 18 from which it is conducted by a pipe 19 to the aforesaid airpipe 12. A by-pass 20 may be used to disconnect the regulator when it is desired to make certain temporary observations. This may be done by closing the valves 21 and 22 and opening the valve 23; the converse being the normal seating of said valves.

In order that the action of the regulator A may be dependent upon the extent of submergence of the eduction-pipe 5, with respect to the then-existin g level 1 of the water in the well, the instrumentality will embody a means in the nature of a level-gauge to; ascertaining the then-existing level of the water; such means being here shown in the nature of an indicator-tube 2%, the lower end of which is located at a predetermined point 25 with respect to the lower end 6 of the eduetion-tube; either above, or level with, or even below said lower end, depend- A shield 10 may ing upon the particular construction of the controller B, as will presently appear. This indicator 21 leads to the controller B and derives from the latter a slight flow of air; just suilicient to keep the submerged portion of the tube 2%: tree at all times from any fluid in its bore and thereby enable it aecurately and positively to indicate, by its air pressure, the head of the water in the well above the lower end 25 of said tube.

The nature and the principles of the construction of the combined regulator and controller can thus be understood by referring to Fig. 2. The regulator B embodies a passage, the inlet of which is denoted by 26 and the outlet by 27. This passage is provided by suitable -formation of a casing 28 which makes provision for an intervening chokevalve tor regulating the flow of the air. This valve may, of course, be constructed in various ways consistent with the capacity for automatic regulation and a representative construction is that shown on the drawlugs and a valve-cage 29 is transversely seated in a tubular portion 30 of the casing having a closed end. The cage preferably provides two circular valve seats 31 and 32 and appropriate openings 33 and 34 leading to or from said seats, as shown, to provide for the passage of the air except in so far as it is restricted or choked by the valve proper. This comprises a shift-able valve stem 35 the position of which is controlled by the controller B. A sleeve-like valve 36 is carried on said controller and is normally retained in a definite relation therewith by an expansible spring 37 bearing at one end against a head 38 of the stem 35 and arranged to urge the sleeve-like valve 30 against a shoulder 39 provided by the other end of the stem 35. These parts normally shift as a unit thereby bringing the seats 4:0 and 1-1 closer to or further away from the seats 31 and 32 to regulate the flow of air. The cage, or other parts of the casing, provide suitable slideways for the aforesaid shifting as a unit of the valve mechanism.

The means for determining the position of he valve mechanism comprises a diaphragm 4-2, or other element which is actuated by the differential in pressure between the air in the outlet 2? and the air in the gauge tube 2%. This diaphragm separates the chamber (containing the air under the pressure used for pumping) from a chamber 44 con taining the air under the pressure of the head of the water in the well above the point 25 of the gauge tube. The chamber at is formed by a suitably shaped casing 4L5 which forms a part of the control device B. It will be perceived that, as in the case shown, when the location 01? the point 25 is not so far below the level oi the water in the well as the lower end of the eductionsome tube 6, the air: pressureiin: :the chamber 44 Will be less than that on the other-side of the 'diaphragm in the chamber43: and it is, therefore, desirable to provide a constant pressureon the low pressure side of the dia phragm Which Will be auxiliary to the air pressure and to-prvide forra convenient adjustment to provide any air :ipressure desired. To that end, the :controllers'B prowhich is rotatably j'ournalecl through a cap- 51' whiclnis sc1'e\v tlireaclecl into the *outermost end of thetubeeland closes'the latter.

The b0lt 50 has a valve-like shoulder. 52 which prevents any escape of air through 'itsjournal and, by applying a wrench to the extremity 53, the bolt -1naybe turned and the: abutment 48 thereby shifted to adjust the 'tension of the spring 46. A cap 5 1 may: normally :cover the extremity of the bolt and form "an additional security against the :escape ot air.

The other end of the spring bears against againstxashoulder 61 provided by the casing andlimitxfurther movement of theadias phragmnn .case,1.for any-reason, the pressure should become eXcessWe-m the chamber Mon the'low ,pressure side of .thediaphragm. The enlargement '60 vis appropriately connectedvwiththe stem of the valve, as by -me ans-of a: pin '62 passing throughan :eaiw63 provided by the stem 35. This car provides a shoulder '39 for maintaining the valve--sleeve 36 in its normal positionon the-stem. y

.The foregoing'description.has alluded to but onediaphragm, to-wit-that marked 42,

and it may be here-stated that-a highly .eflicient regulation may, as has been de1nonstr'ated ubypractice, be obtained ithrongh the use: of a single diaphragm; .However,ia

doubleor compound diaphragm is likewise contemplated by..this' invention; such, for exampleas two diaphragms. 41-2 and 42 1- which case an advantageous :ditierent-ial effect may be had by making these work as: a unit .and by having the: one (42) larger insarea thantheother. A ratio otabout 1.15. is recommended in that case.

These two. differently sized diaphragms are spaced apartiandnclamped between: the casings 4L5. andr28 by means otan annular ring 64 which isbevelcd, as indicatedby fifi, to give. theilarger. diaphragm-ya free range of. movement consistent with its larger size. One or imore escape vents 66 are prefer.- ably providedwin the ringGel-qsosthat the compound:diaphragm may not become air.- bouncLas tothe space intervening between them; "So that the; force yielded. by the .fiex-v ation. of the larger diaphragm/may. be fully transmitted to the smaller diaphrrgm,:and conversely, an intermediate spacer-.ringfG? is provided and this ring .is' held against undue lateral displacement by .a collar 68 which .is tapered in 'tl'iickness,as shown,v so as/not to interfere with the fleXation-of the diaphragm.

[\Vhen the. pressure on the :depthwgauge side of the diaphragm drops, thediaphragm will bend towards that side. but to prevent it from being subjected toaany und-ne; presmuch, the casing provides. annnnular abutment 69 in the regionof the spacer-ring 67. X'Vhen flexing in that direction, the diaphragm;gradually closcs"the valve 36 and ultimately said valve isln'ought firmly against its seats. However, ":the; pressure may continue.- still further-against the diaphragm and,win that.event,;thesaid seats would have to carry undue strains were it not for thefact thatthe movement of the v'alveBGis then arrested although thestem. 35' may continue tomove slightly, the spring 37 allowing for thislaction,

: It has been previously pointed out that a certain amount ofair isrperm'itted to escape through: the pipe .24 to keep it cleareot' water. I This pipe is connected at the point 70 tothe chamber 44iand-aslight amount of air 'is'able to pass from the chambcr43 throughfthe port 7 3,. into the bore 72 and finally pass the slight clearance space 171 eXisting-betweena wiping valve 74. and the memben57. "Thisneedle 74 maybe mounted in the'endiof bolt 50. The object of this arrangement is i to take advantage f of the vibrationsof the diaphragm inkeeping the clearance space 71 sufficiently open and tree from dirt to permit-a little airpalways to escape, It is, of course,..immatcrial.'tokthe invention, where the escape-vent is located but it"is desirable to so. arrange it that-it sure in that direction or. from bulging too i will be automatically self-cleaning. The purpose of the small opening (which is normally closed by a plug) is to enable a pressure gauge to be temporarily inserted at the time the apparatus is initially set up and used in turning the correct initial ad justment of the spring 46.

It will thus be perceived that this invention is well adapted to accomplish the purposes set forth. The. valve is so regulated by the pressures at the opposite sides of the diaphragm that, should the water level in the well fall as low as the end of the control pipe, the ports will be entirely closed and the air will cease to flow through the pipe 5 until the water level rises and causes pressure to build up in the control pipe and compartment li and again open the valve, whereby the well is prevented from blowing air when the head of water is reduced below a predetermined minimum; and intermediate effects will be obtained as has already been explained. I

Vithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various utilizations by retaining one or more of the features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of either the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should be, and are intended to be, comprehended Within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to secure the following combinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of the United States 1. An air-regulator for air wells comprising a casing providing a chamber having an inlet connected with a pressure line and an outlet connected with said well; a valve mechanism for controlling the flow of air into said chamber; a second chamber adjacent said first-mentioned chamber; a diaphragm separating said chambers; and means for maintaining air pressure in said second chamber in proportion to the head of water in the well; said valve being con nected with said flexible diaphragm and adapted to be opened and closed thereby to regmlate the flow of air into said first-mentioned chamber in proportion to the differential in the pressures in the two chambers.

2. An air-regulator combining a casing providing an air chamber having inlet and outlet openings; a relatively high pressure air line connected with said inlet opening; a valve for regulating the flow of air into said chamber; a second chamber adjacent said first-mentioned chamber; a relatively low pressure line connected to said second chamber; a diaphragm separating said two chambers; a spring locatedv within said sec-- ond chamber and acting on said diaphragm in opposition to the pressure in said flrstmentioned chamber, said valve being connected with said diaphragm and adapted to be opened and closed thereby in, its flexing movements due to the differential in the air pressures in said chambers.

In combination with an air-well; an air-pressure line; aneduction-pipe; an airpipe conncctingisaid air-pressure line with the lower end of said eduction-pipe for aerating the water therein; an automatic air regulator connected with said air-pipe for varying the flow of air thcrethrough in proportion to the head of water in the well; and an automatic control for said air-regulator comprising a gange-tube connected at one end to said regulator and having its other end open and projecting downwardly into the water in the well, the air in said tube being maintained under pressure by the head of water above the lower end thereof,

said regulator being so constructed and arranged that the air pressure in the tube automatically controls the action of said regulator.

i. A fluid regulator combining a casing providing a high pressure chamber and an opposed low pressure chamber; a diaphragm separating said chambers; a relatively high pressure pipe connected with said high pres sure chamber; a relatively low pressure pipe connected with said low pressure chamber;

'a spring located within said low pressure chamber and acting upon said diaphragm in opposition to the pressure in said high pressure chamber, a valve for regulating the flow of fluid into said high pressure chamber, said valve being connected with said diaphragm and adapted to be opened and closed thereby in its flexing movements due to the differential in pressures in said chambers; means for limiting the movements of said diaphragm; and means for regulating the pressure of said spring.

5. In combination with an air-well, an eduction pipe; an air pressure line having one end connected with the lower end of said eduction pipe to aerate the water therein; an air-regulator connected with said airpressure line and adapted to regulate the flow of air therethrough; said regulator comprising a casing providing a pressure chamber having inlet and outlet openings con nected with said air pressure line; a second pressure chamber adjacent said first-mentioned chamber; a gauge tube having one end connected with said second chamber and having its other end extending substantially below the surface of the water in the well, thus producing air pressure in said second chamber; a diaphragm separating said two chambers; a valve mechanism, connected to said diaphragm and actuated by the movement'thereoi caused by the differential in pressures in the two chambers, for regulating the flow of air into the well.

6. A fluid regulator combining a casing providing two opposed pressure chambers; a relatively high pressure pipe connected with one of said chambers; a relatively low pressure pipe connected with the other of said chambers; two spaced diaphragms of unequal diameters, separating said chambers, the larger diapliragmbeing adjacent said low pressure chamber; and avalve for regulating the flow of fluid into said high pressure chamber said valve being connected with one of said diaphragms and adapted to be opened and closed by the flexing movements thereof due to fluctuations in pressure in said low pressure chamber.

7. A fluid regulator combining a casing providing two opposed pressure chambers each provided with a fluid inlet, a pressure line connected with each inlet, two diaphragms separating said chambers; an annular ring, provided with a vent, between said diaphragms for holding them in spaced relation, said vent preventing the building up of pressure between said diaphragms; a valve for controlling the flow of fluid into one of said chambers, said valve being connected with one of said diaphragms and adapted to be opened and closed by the flexing movements thereof due to the differential in pressures in said chambers.

8. In combination with an air-well having an eduction pipe, means for admitting air into said eduction pipe in )roportion to the head of water above a pre etermined point, said means comprising an air pressure line provided with an adjustable valve, and an automatically actuating regulator for opening and closing said valve; said regulator including a gauge tube having an open end extending into the well and below the water level thereof; and means for admitting air into said tube to keep it free from water.

9. The combination set forth in claim 5,

characterizedby this, that a vent is provided between the two chambers to permit a constant seepage of air from the first chamber into the second chamber and out through the gauge tube to prevent water from entering the tube.

1 0. An air-regulator combining a casing providing relatively high and low pressure chambers, a high pressure airline connected with said high pressure chamber; a lowpressure air-line connected with said low pressure chamber; a movable element separating said chambers; and adapted to be moved by the dii'ferential in the pressures upon its opposite sides; a spring located within said low-pressure chamber and acting on said movable element in opposition to the pressure in said high-pressure chamber; a valve connected with said movable 'ele ment and arranged to control the flow of air into said high pressure chamber; means for adjusting said spring to vary its pressure against said movable element to effect a predetermined setting'of the valve, said valve and movable member being so constructed and arranged that fluctuations in pressure in the low pressure chamber effect adjustments of said valve.

11. The combination set forth in claim 5, characterized by this, that a vent is provided between the two chambers to permit a constant seepage of air from the first chamber into the second chamber and out through the gauge tube to prevent water from entering the tube and that a needle, relatively movable with respect to said vent, is provided for keeping said vent free from dirt.

12. The combination set forth in claim 7 characterized by this that a loose spacer ring is located between the two diaphragms, and means is provided for preventing lateral displacement of said spacer ring.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

CONRAD O. JACOBSON. 

